Dr. Ron Paul speaks to Linn County Medical Society

GAZETTE ONLINE ^ | 18 DECEMBER 2007 | The Gazette

[Extremely Extreme Extremist]

CEDAR RAPIDS — Presidential hopeful Ron Paul was among his own when he spoke Tuesday to members of the Linn County Medical Society.

The only medical doctor vying for the candidacy, the Republican Congressman from Texas addressed issues of concern to the dozen in attendance at Cedar Memorial Grant Wood Chapel, 800 Second Ave. SE.

Paul supports a free enterprise system in returning medicine to the way it was in the earlier years of his practice when "nobody was turned away."

"Where government's more involved ... the costs go up," he said of his opposition to a single-payer system. "You hire a lot of bureaucrats and you hire a lot of middlemen and the cost goes up, so you've distorted the market completely."

Paul served in the U.S. Air Force as a flight surgeon in the 1960s; served in Congress in the 1970s and 1980s and delivered his 4,000th baby as an obstetrician before returning to Congress in 1997.

He voted against Medicare Part D, the prescription drug coverage for Medicare beneficiaries, but said he wouldn't necessarily do away with existing coverage.

Health care costs are only part of the nation's problems, Paul noted.

"The biggest problem facing our country is fiscal irresponsibility," he said. "So I want to cut spending and the only place I can see is to cut spending overseas."

Paul is distinguished from other Republican candidates by his opposition to the war in Iraq.

"I don't think we should be fighting wars," he said. "The war will end some day because we're going to go broke."

Paul is the only candidate so far to speak to the Linn County Medical Society, which invited all the presidential hopefuls, said Dr. Craig Clark, a radiologist at Radiology Consultants of Iowa in Cedar Rapids and the group's president.

Top officials with Barack Obama's campaign also have spoken to the group, he said.

Clark said he was disappointed with the low turnout at the forum. The group has about 350 members.

Dr. Hugh MacMenamin, an orthopedic surgeon at Physicians' Clinic of Iowa, said he agreed with Paul on Iraq and using health savings accounts as incentive for patients to be more judicious in their health care choices.

Though he has previously voted Republican, however, he is leaning toward Democratic candidates this time, MacMenamin said.

[antinomian]

Healthcare for the poor used to be a matter of doctors allowing patients to pay over time, and of performing some services free or at reduced cost. Dentists and Veterinarians still operate this way. Now under Medicare doctors always get paid the full rate for each patient. So in essence, Medicare is just a wealth transfer from middle class Americans to middle class doctors.

[humblegunner]

Presidential hopeful Ron Paul was among his own when he spoke Tuesday

Truthers, Cut-N-Runners and Islamic Apologists?

[Extremely Extreme Extremist]

* Flips middle finger *

[humblegunner]

* Flips middle finger *

"Irrational this is. Defending a piddlepuppy you are."

[fortheDeclaration]

Don't descend to their level, that is what they want.

We have truth on our side.

[fortheDeclaration]

[Presidential hopeful Ron Paul was among his own when he spoke Tuesday]

Truthers, Cut-N-Runners and Islamic Apologists?

No, they were lovers of freedom, of the Constitution, and U.S. sovereignty.

[humblegunner]

No, they were lovers of freedom, of the Constitution, and U.S. sovereignty.

Ah, sounds like the Ron Paul opposition.

It is widely known Paul is a nut case. The candidate of comic relief.

[socialismisinsidious]

Socialized Medicine aka Universal Health Care PING LIST

FReepmail me if you want to be added to or removed from this ping list.

[socialismisinsidious]

Medicare doctors always get paid the full rate for each patient.

Medicare and Medicaid do not pay "full rate" ...and although I do not like either program they are not "wealth transfers". Doctors provide a service, works, for the money!

Medicare and Medicaid are not welfare they are socialized medicine....there is a difference. Only someone who thinks health care is a "right" would look at monies paid for a service as a wealth transfer.

Also, doctors and hospitals do allow patients to pay over time...the problem is patients don't want to. Thanks to of government involvement, the MSM and insurance too many in this country have begun to look as health care as a right and have fallen under the notion that they shouldn't have to pay for it.

[traviskicks]

Paul interview at the Kaiser foundation on healthcare:

http://ronpaulnation.com/tv.html#interview_health_care_7_19_07_pt_1

[antinomian]

Medicare and Medicaid do not pay "full rate" ...and although I do not like either program they are not "wealth transfers". Doctors provide a service, works, for the money!

Every government employee says they work for the money, and they are right. The problem is that without government coercion there would be different rates of pay and a different demand for the service. Doctors get full rates or, if you prefer, standardized rates. This means they are getting paid more than they would if Medicare didn't exist. It's a wealth transfer.

It is also socialized medicine certainly. I wouldn't dream of arguing with you on that. But please note that the AMA dropped its opposition to Medicare after it passed - after they saw the terms - and has supported it ever since.

Only someone who thinks health care is a "right" would look at monies paid for a service as a wealth transfer.

That's not true. It's just the opposite. Only someone who thinks health care is a right would think that a service must always be paid for and at a standard rate, and that this must be guaranteed by the government.

...too many in this country have begun to look as health care as a right and have fallen under the notion that they shouldn't have to pay for it.

Agreed.

[socialismisinsidious]

This means they are getting paid more than they would if Medicare didn't exist

That is nonsense and makes it obvious that you have no idea what you are talking about. Doctors are not paid what they charge to Medicare; they are paid what Medicare decides they should be paid. Doctors make more on private patients than they do on Medicare patients. To believe otherwise is ridiculous. Why do you think doctors try and keep their Medicare/Medicaid patients below a certain thresh hold? B/C if they don't they will lose money. Medicaid barely covers cost (overhead of shots, staff, records, supplies). If doctors only accepted Medicare/Medicaid then they their small business would go under.

By your flawed logic all doctors should turn away private patients and only accept Medicare/Medicaid b/c that's where the money is. That isn't happening b/c every doctor I know (and I know many) has to eat.

The AMA is a liberal, academic, political organization which represents only 40% of doctors...they are a bureaucracy and have no idea (as most bureaucrats) what goes on in the real, patient care, world. Besides dropping opposition after Medicare passed is a weak argument. What should they have done...continued fighting against something that was already a done deal?

I did not say rates should be set by the government...just the opposite. Let the free market work and get the government out of health care. A standard rate would be set by supply and demand and services would be paid for by those receiving them.

[fortheDeclaration]

[No, they were lovers of freedom, of the Constitution, and U.S. sovereignty.]

Ah, sounds like the Ron Paul opposition.

No, Ron Paul opposition are for the NWO as it is being created by the Neocons.

It is widely known Paul is a nut case. The candidate of comic relief.

Yes, he is so funny he is raising millions of dollars from thousands of supporters.

[Designer]

"Don't descend to their level, that is what they want."

Use the FORCE, EEE, use the force!